| Church DevelopmentNew Church Charters
By Dr. Montfort C. Duncan Jr.,
Executive Director, Church Development
 Sunday,
July 29, 2001 was an exciting day for LakeSide Fellowship United
Methodist Church in the Orlando District’s Sanford area.
LakeSide became a chartered United
Methodist congregation with 136 members and 278 in attendance at its
first service. This new congregation had been a vision of the Orlando
District Board of Missions and Church Extension, and the Rev. Robert
Martin was appointed in June 1999 to give spiritual leadership and
oversight to this new outreach into its target area.
This new community of faith takes
seriously the words of Jesus to “go make disciples.” Of its new
members 73 percent have come by profession of faith in a community
from which 64 percent of its residents report they do not have a
regular church home. Its worship attendance and membership continue to
show strong, sustained growth. The church is now in phase one of its
building project to erect a 13,000 square foot multipurpose facility.
The goal is to break ground this September.
Outreach is primary at LakeSide. It
supports local outreach efforts, both financially and with its
presence. Some include the Coalition for the Homeless, Second Harvest
Food Bank, World Vision Hunger, Florida United Methodist Children’s
Home, and efforts with children in the Seminole County School
District. The church gave a gift of $1,000 to Christ Hispanic Church
in Orlando to help members there develop an after-school program for
children at risk. And this exciting congregation tithes 10 percent of
its monthly offerings back to the local community to expand the name
and love of Jesus Christ.
The church’s “Lighthouse G.A.N.G.”
has grown more than 200 percent in the last year. It is a children’s
puppet ministry that reaches out into the community to present the
Gospel to young children who are not able to attend church. LakeSide’s
“Living Water Student Ministries” focuses on building
relationships with sixth- through 12th-grade students. Many of the
outreach ministries of LakeSide are fully supported by the efforts of
its student ministry.
The congregation recently received the
2000-2001 school year Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Seminole
County School Counselor’s Association to recognize the church’s
support and heart for children and youth in school.
This is just one of many wonderful,
God-honoring new church congregations in the Florida Conference. Lives
are being changed and people are coming into a living relationship
with Jesus Christ. Your support of New Church Starts continues to make
a difference in the lives of broken and hurting people.
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